Abstract
This article reports findings from a national survey examining communication training among nurses, dentists, and physicians. A ten item questionnaire was mailed to 1800 members of three major professional associations, yielding 513 usable responses. Over half of respondents had received formal communication instruction, most commonly nurses, followed by dentists and physicians. Training formats included dedicated courses, communication units within other courses, and in service workshops. Listening, interviewing, and nonverbal communication emerged as the most frequently taught and most valued skills. Notably, most training was delivered by instructors outside the communication discipline, raising questions about curricular coordination and disciplinary visibility. A majority of respondents expressed a need for additional communication preparation, and most recommended that communication training be mandatory in professional school and undergraduate curricula. The authors argue that the findings indicate both the importance of communication competence in health care and a missed opportunity for communication educators to contribute more directly to professional preparation. They conclude that greater involvement by communication faculty could enhance training quality and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration in health education.
Recommended Citation
Armstrong, Richard N.; Owen, Gordon R.; and McFarland, Phillip
(1986)
"Communication in the Health Professions: A Survey,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 55, Article 19.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol55/iss1/19
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